Under The Shade of Maples
by Blizzard's Wake
Summary: Beneath every vicious, cruel cat, lies a mending heart and a history that can never be shaken off. This time, it's Mapleshade's turn to tell her story. Believe it or not, she was even a normal Thunderclan apprentice at one time; what happened? A tale of revenge and loyalty...only to me.


**[ Ahhh! **

**Oh gosh I am extremely excited about this, I finally found inspiration to write something!**

**-coughs- Back to the point. Hello there, I'm Blitz, and this is well, my first fanfiction to post on here. I haven't written anything in a long time, so this might not be the best, so… To be honest I've wanted to write something about Mapleshade for quite some time, being my favorite character, yet never knew how to start. This series is obviously about Mapleshade, and it deals with what her childhood may be like before changing into the cat that she is now. Yes, I know that in CP it revealed why she did become evil, for her forbidden love and betrayal, but is that all? A hopeless romantic? I don't think so…**

**Anyways, this is meant to be written similar to the other Super Editions, going through Mapleshade's whole life up to what we know now. **

**Enjoy! ]**

It came from a whisper, spreading through the she-cat's thick fur, all the way until her tail quivered. Lurching, spinning, all in her head, the realistic scenes of the dream...she was filled with dread and fear. The pain…the betrayal…oh someone help me! And then finally the blinding flood of memories was gone.

Although the she-cat was fully awake and functioning, she laid there for a while, not moving. The pine needles above her shaded her from the open starless sky. When it finally dawned on her that she would accomplish nothing by laying there, one by one she raised her eyelids and took in the murky, cold air. Coughing, she boosted herself up by her front legs and first thing she did was rake her amber eyes across her patched flank. You would not believe it, but the she-cat's pelt was faded and surrounded with a pale aura; almost translucent enough to see the shape of objects behind her. Oddly, the cat seemed rather amused at it, sarcastically remarking, "Getting better each day." The cat continued to stretch her legs and arch her back, and finally got onto her paws.

The days were unusual in the Place of No Stars. Naturally, with no difference between day and night, cats woke up whenever they felt like it, and slept whenever they were tired. A much simpler life, than those of Starclan or of the living clans. They were bound to a set of over dated rules, and had to give to others what they rightfully earned. Treating herself to a little walk, the she-cat scoffed at the thought. She pitied those cats, subject to idiotic laws.

The ragged she-cat turned a corner and passed familiar landmarks she ventured through. The now-abandoned gathering place, each of the hollows apprentices of the living trained in, makeshift dens. They smelt of many stale scents of a world that was. Next, her fur stood on end as she peered into the murky river she had taught that traitor Ivypool a lesson in. With a growl she leaped across. It all reminded her of the battle she longed to forget, resulting in Tigerstar and another lengthy list of allegiances' second and last death. She didn't care much, that all of the pesky cats were gone; it was only for her personal issues that she fought anyways. Even though there were still a few cats left in this desolate place, they had all scattered and became rogues because Tigerstar was the only one that really could bring them together. Now he was dead, the union sacked, and she was forced to live alone again. Occasionally, she would pass by Hawkheart sharpening her claws, or Silverhawk still moaning about the defeat.

The will to fight was all for that firey hatred in her heart, that turned her once soft amber eyes into murderous ones and unsheathed her thorn-sharp claws. She only sought revenge; she _needed_ revenge on those wretched traitors.

Suddenly, she approached a place where the darkness started to filter out. The pitch black was no longer pure and gradually became lighter…lighter…lighter….until she could not stand it. It blinded her. At last, she had reached the border between Starclan and The Place of No Stars. It was Starclan's funny little trick on those who were misfortunate to the Dark Forest; give them a glimpse of Starclan, a place that they could never reach now. As soon as you hit the border, it was a wall and no amount of clawing would break it. It was like Starclan was actually laughing at her, she thought, and she absolutely hated it! The tortoiseshell hissed and was about to turn back, when something caught her eye that made her froze. In midst of the border, the fine line, wasn't just a sudden line, it was a blend between the darkness and the light, the black and the white.

Gray.

And at that second she thought of her dream again, the one that she could not shake off. She was used to dreaming of things in her former life, but today it was with a new twist. It was like plunging into ice cold water, all too fast, all too gone. Her memories came flooding back, her emotions in each scene wrapping around her again, like it was just yesterday that they occurred.

And far away, a whisper came, ringing through her ears.

"_Mapleshade."_

If you thought you knew everything about this hopeless romantic story of betrayal, that she was just a poor cat that took the wrong path in able to deal with her hurt, you haven't seen it all yet. Because if you're willing to listen, I can tell you that Mapleshade is much, much more…

**[ Did you like? **

**Yes, I'm very descriptive with my writing, so it might be a while until the plot gets going. –laughs- **

**Please review, follow, or favorite! I'd really like to hear what you guys think of this, and maybe even a few suggestions? Thanks! ]**


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